5 Tips to Get to Sleep

We all know that getting a good night’s rest is vital for our health, but the number of people that suffer from sleeping problems keeps growing by the year. One of the main problems that many people experience, is that they just can’t get to sleep in the first place. This is confounded by the stress caused by not being able to fall asleep, which makes it even harder to nod off.

With this understanding that many people have trouble getting to sleep, we decided to create this infographic of 5 scientifically backed tips to help you get to sleep.

Exercise Can Help You Get to Sleep

Being tired and relaxed are obvious requirements of falling asleep. A great way to make sure you’re in the proper resting state by bedtime is to do some exercise every day. It’s best to perform this exercise at least three hours before you go to bed, otherwise your body could still be alert and ready for more exercise.

A good exercise routine will keep your body healthy, and make you tranquil and tired by the time you go to bed, the perfect time to slide under the duvet and fall asleep.

Get in the Rhythm

To get to sleep quickly and comfortably, a good sleeping rhythm is important. Our ability to get to sleep easily is strongly linked to our circadian rhythm (body clock), which works best when it’s in sync.

If you stay up until 3am on Tuesday and Wednesday, it’s unlikely you’ll get to sleep at 10pm on Thursday, although you will probably be tired.

Eat This! (and Forget the Sleeping Pills)

Walnuts, cashews, hummus, and eggs are great sources of tryptophan, which is great for helping you get better sleep. Tryptophan has a natural sedative effect, and can help reduce the problems associated with sleep apnea and insomnia, and it also offers natural protection against depression.

Almonds contain magnesium, which can also be included in a healthy-sleep diet. Magnesium is great for relieving stress which keeps you up at night, and helps you relax in the evening before bed.

A cup of camomile tea before bed can help to lower stress and help you get to sleep quickly.

Needless to say, caffeine should be avoided in the evening if you’re having any trouble falling asleep. Alcohol and soda is also detrimental to quality of sleep, so avoid drinking them shortly before bed.

Have a Getting to Sleep Routine

Many people find that simply changing their evening routine can have a beneficial effect on getting to sleep. If you want to get to sleep quickly and comfortably, avoid using your smartphone or laptop for 30 minutes to an hour before going to bed, as the light from those devices tells your brain to stay alert.

A nice warm shower is also great before bed, as it actually helps the body cool down properly in the following hours, which is essential for sleep.
If you’re still finding it difficult to fall asleep, try some gentle stretching and breathing exercises such as ‘4-7-8’ breathing, in which you deeply inhale for 4 seconds, hold the breath for 7 seconds, and slowly exhale for 8 seconds.

You could also get into the habit of reading before bed. This helps clear the mind of the events from the day which might be keeping you awake. Regular reading before bed also helps tell the brain that it can safely get into sleeping mode.

Fix the Bedroom

The way you keep your bedroom could be having a negative impact on your quality of sleep. The bedroom should be all about sleeping, so having a tv or computer in there is a big mistake.

Fresh, cool air from an open window works wonders, but make sure your room is quiet and dark. Get some thick curtains if there’s a lot of outside light, and earplugs if it’s noisy.

Finally, make sure you have a comfortable bed to sleep on, with good quality pillows and a duvet that’s appropriate for your climate. Investing in quality bedding will be a decision you’ll be thankful for, for years to come.

Have a Great Sleep!

We hope our infographic and guide will help ease your sleep woes, and help you get to sleep quickly.

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Thanks for reading.